#karasu ic

[miaplacidusocs]

📹 for vilara and vadius?

Vadius steps back from the camera. He obviously made the recording himself. Most seadwellers wouldn't think twice at making a lowerblood do it, but this was... something he wanted only one troll to see. 

"If you're watching this, Vilara Fynfal, let me say what I know you would anyway: I've made a stupid mistake. I know I'm an idiot who takes on too many duties and slacks off on what I should be doing, and this probably will kill me somenight. So: feel free to yell at me now. I deserve it."

A pause, ostensibly to let her do so. Vadius swallows, fidgeting a bit, using this period to regain his calm.

"...My point is, this is what I will send to you in the event of my death, so if you are watching this -- I thought you might want to see it. Perhaps not. If you don't, you can delete it. But if you do..." He gives a faint smile. "Then you can yell at me all you want. And I can tell you, I was honored to serve under you, Commander. You've been an outstanding example to me, and one I've rarely considered as important as I should. And I think you're lovely." He starts to look down, breaking character and grinning, as the scene cuts out.

Same backdrop (his office), slightly different decorations, slightly different angle, same uniform, same Vadius. He's serious again, standing a moment before starting. "I suppose I ought to tell you what I've been doing. I started a project, Project Mnemos, to perfect a troll-based version of brainwashing and/or memory erasure. This idea came about when I met a troll with said power. Since then, I've moved on to training their descendant. I believe they are ready to move forward from training into full usage, or will be when you receive this message. My goal in Project Mnemos has always been to further the Empire, though I admit I haven't always done that in the ways I should. So, as of now, I am handing control of Project Mnemos and its protégé Thisna Verent over to you. Do what seems best." He bows slightly, and the scene cuts out.

ENDING 1

A different scene. This part is slightly grainy, security camera footage. Vadius in an office, talking to another troll. A shorter, stocky one, with horns close to their head and hair in a short ponytail. 

"You don't touch my friends!" the small one yells.

Vadius remains calm. "I haven't done anything to them."

"Yes you did - you hurt Ischia! That's not okay! And I don't care if you're a fleet general or whatever. This isn't right. Now tell me where Sivert is."

"I don't know. I would imagine at hive with Ischia?"

The smaller troll puts a hand to their belt.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Fuck you," they snarl, drawing their gun. Before Vadius can draw his own it's over. Two shots, and the seadweller is gasping, clinging to his chair. He fumbles for his gun. Husk. Something. Anything that can help. The other troll closes in. 

ENDING 2

This part has no video, only audio, a recording that has, somehow, not been released to the fleet. Vilara is likely hearing it for the first time. "Ardent, Captain Vadion. We've encountered a large ship of unknown origin, which seems to be dead in space. No lights,... but we have what looks like two troll life signs onboard. The technology looks to be a fair level. I'm sending out a scouting party."

A pause.

"The ship is pulling us in. Repeat, the ship is pulling us in. Begin evasive maneuvers!"

He curses. 

"Our helm systems are not responding. What the hell is this thing?!"

The audio crackles.

Silence.

[miaplacidusocs]

ugh. 

Ever since I got back from my last assignment it’s like I can’t lean my head to the right at all or my neck goes “aaaaugh stop that!”

I didn’t do anything to it tho?

[miaplacidusocs]

r.e.blue took my hair out of its braid lmao

r.e.blue i mean it did look pretty fierce but i cant go out like that

[miaplacidusocs]

A Matter of Taste

You’re not exactly glad to be back on Alternia, out of the gunner’s chair, and at a formal “service celebration”, whatever that is, but at least that means you get to wear a nice, fancy (possibly too flashy, but who’s gonna fault you for celebrating making it back home again?) costume, and dig into the makeup you left back here. 

The obligatory introductions are being made, but you’ve managed to slip away from the rest of the Ardent crew, and are now wandering throughout the clumps of trolls, wondering if you might see anyone you used to know. You don’t quite remember which of those trolls made it to adulthood, and which... didn’t. You simply didn’t care. But now, you really just want to do something, something fun, not something boring like introductions. So that’s what you’re looking for. Someone who looks like fun.

Hello there.

You take in the troll, eyes wide with slight surprise. Their face and horns are completely different from yours, but...

Their outfit is the same.

Somehow, you and they decided to wear the exact same outfit to this event. Even the shoes look similar, and though their glasses don’t seem to be necessary, they’re... definitely similar in shape. 

A slow grin spreads over your face, and you stride over to them and tap them on the shoulder, if they’re not already facing you. “Heeey... what’s with the outfit? Looks pretty trashy~”

[miaplacidusocs]

"I feel like I'm stuck in some stupid cycle of fucking things up, then fucking them up even more when I try to get away and leave 'em alone."

"I just kinda wanna get the fuck out of here, but I don't know where to run away to this time."

[miaplacidusocs]

okay but for the sentence meme, “That’s going to bruise.” from Cath to Kar

y'know what I forget what this was supposed to be for exactly but here's a little scene (hope I did Cath correctly)

“Long time no see, dipshit.”

The troll standing in front of her - a blueblood - was short with kinda choppy hair, one long horn with spikes and the other broken off halfway - not unlike her captain Finity, Karasu thought. But she didn't recognize them at all. “You're gonna have to be more specific,” she scoffed, crossing her arms. “What's my fucking crime? And when did you see me? Cause I've probably come down with a little thing called involuntary memory loss.”

“Really? It's only been two sweeps!” Cath sneered. “What'd you do, pick the wrong fight?”

“...Probably!” Kar laughed. In a way, yeah, messing with the Empire was for sure the wrong fight. But then, that's what she was doing now, wasn't it? “But hey, what's my crime? Or is it just kind of your thing to kidnap random trolls you've met before? Are you just so fucking terrible that no one could stand to talk to you again if you tried it the norm-”

Cath proceeded to slap her across the face. She just laughed, but he continued, “Right now, sounds like your crime is being too damn irritating.” God, but he was frustrated. Karasu - that was her name, wasn't it? - wasn't taking anything seriously. And it sounded like she was going out of her way to insult him. Well, he'd show her. He stepped forward, threatening. “Sober up or I'll do it again.”

“Do what?” Kar grinned. “That was a terrible punch. Here, lemme show you how it's done!” She shifted briefly, preparing to punch, but Cath would have none of that and shoved her backward, using his metal arm this time. She only stumbled back a few steps, but it brought her to the wall.

“What, are you looking for a fight?” She'd beaten him - repeatedly - the first time they'd met, but this was different. He was the captain now, and she was... probably a rebel judging by her total lack of uniform. “...Don't tell me you fought the Empire.”

Karasu nodded. “Actually, yeah, that's exactly what I did - and what I'm doing.”

“Nah,” Cath rolled his eyes, “right now you're trying to fight a troll who's got much better things to do than waste his time with a stupid rebel bitch.”

“Then leave!” she snorted, and was promptly met with a metal fist to the face. That actually hurt, and she leaned back against the wall, blinking away spots of light. “Fuck... haha, that's gonna bruise. Some arm you got there.”

“Yeah, next time you snark at me, that's going to bruise a lot worse.” Cath grinned proudly. At least the girl could recognize his strength now.

“I ain't waiting for that.” Kar pushed herself off the wall, adjusting her shades, which thankfully hadn't been broken. “If you're gonna be like that, fight me.”